Local apple enthusiasts ditching tradition in opening cider company in Wolfville

Husband and wife team Sean Myles and Gina Haverstock stand at the tasting bar in their soon to be open Annapolis Cider Company in Wolfville. (STAFF)

An academic who’s allergic to apples is one half of the husband and wife team behind the launch this month of a cidery and tasting room on Wolfville’s Main Street.

Dalhousie University apple researcher Sean Myles’ mouth swells up after a few bites of any variety. But that won’t stop him turning on the taps at Annapolis Cider Company, a 2,000-square-foot business he’ll open next month along with his wife Gina Haverstock, sommelier and award winning winemaker at nearby Gaspereau Vineyards.

The couple, along with manager and food and drink industry veteran, Katie Barbour and cider maker and chemistry PhD Melanie Eelman, will offer three ciders for sale in 650 ml refillable bottles — Juicy & Sweet, a 5.6-per-cent alcohol tipple that combines dry fermented cider with freshly-pressed apple juice; 7.7-per-cent Crisp & Dry, which includes only a touch of the juice and Something Different, which will vary from batch to batch.

Also on offer is a tasting bar as well as cidery tours that will give visitors a chance to learn about the cider-making process.

The freshly pressed juice is locally-sourced, said Myles, who started the year-round business party because of his passion for locally produced food and drink.

“We all want to capture the taste of the Annapolis Valley in a bottle and share it with everyone. Local cider producers have really paved the way for us.

“The encouragement and support from the entire beverage industry has been incredibly helpful in getting our business off the ground.”

Haverstock says it’s not just apple fans who’ve helped. “We’ve tried to take our favourite aspects from local wineries and Nova Scotia’s microbrewers, such as the refillable bottles for example.

“Cider is becoming an increasingly popular choice as an alternative to beer and wine. NSLC cider sales are up by more than 100 per cent compared to last year,” she said.

Dalhousie faculty of agriculture dean, Dr. David Gray labelled the business a “fantastic example of science in action.”

Fredericton-born Myles, brother of award winning musician David, is an assistant professor at Dalhousie’s faculty of agriculture and an adjunct professor at Acadia University’s department of biology. He hit headlines late last year when he was highlighted by well-known technology magazine Wired as one of the best online science commentators.

Nicknamed a latter day Johnny Appleseed, his research focuses on preserving biodiversity including using it to breed new crops. Myles leads a team that has planted more than 1,000 apple varieties — including everything from common commercial cultivars to heritage varieties and also exotics — at the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre in Kentville.

The researchers collect data on various traits such as flavour, sweetness, juiciness, aroma and firmness as well as susceptibility to disease.They correlate those qualities with the DNA found in each variety, then pass the data to Canadian apple growers.